Insect-catcher.



- D. D. STEPHENS.

INSECT CATCHER.- APPUCAUON HLED luLY 29.1916.

Patented Mar, 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

Suva/tofu Dawn UDLEY TEPHEN'S D4 D. STEPHENS.

INSECT CATCHER. APPLlcATloN HLED 1uLY29. |916.

Patented Mm. 2T, 1917.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

l'nvawtoz @RWD UUDLEY STEPHENS DAVID DUDLEY STEPHENS, OF LOUSVILLE, ALABAMA.

INSECT-CATCHER.

Application led July 29, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that DAVID DUDLEY STE- PHENs, a citizen of the United States, re siding at Louisville, in the county of Barbour and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insect-Catchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for trapping insects and particularly to trapping devices which are mounted upon wheels and which are adapted to be passed up and down the rows of growing plants to knock off insects thereonand trap them, the machine being particularly designed for the' purpose of catching bell weevils. v

The general object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which in'- cludes a supporting frame and oppositely disposed trapping pans and provides means whereby the pans may be set farther from or nea-rer to each other or be disposed either horizontally or at an angle to the surface of the ground so that the pans may ride against thev faces of the hills in which the plants are disposed.

A further object is to provide means whereby the frame of the machine may be raised or lowered or increased or decreased in width to suit various circumstances of operation and a still further object is to provide means whereby the chains or other devices used for knocking the insects ofi' ofthe plantsV may be adjusted to suit the height of the plants.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure lis a top plan view of an insect catching machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the trapping pans.

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that the frame of my device comprises an arched axle designated generally 10 which is made in two sections, the sections overlapping at the middle portions of the frame and these overlapping transverse bars being held in engagement with each other 4by bolts l1. The transverse bars of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

serial No. 112,081.

arched axle may either be slotted or formed with a plurality of perforations so that the arched axle may be lwidened or shortened.

Supported upon the arched axle are the longitudinally extending beams l2 which may be relatively light and are bolted to the downwardly extending portions of the arched axle, there being a plurality of bolt holes for the passage of bolts 13 so that the frame may be raised or lowered. Attached to the beams l2 are a plurality of standards 14, the standards projecting above and below the beams. I have shown three pairs of these standards and each pair of standards is connected at its upper end by means of a transverse bolt 15 carrying the nuts 16. These bolts l5 are sufliciently long so that they will permit the adjustment of the side frames nearer to or farther from each other in consonance with the ad'ustment of the two sections of the axle. elow the beams l2 the standaials 14 support side pieces 17 which may be madelof cloth, tin oi" other light and suitable material. Each of the standards carries a plurality of 'supporting hooks 20 for the sweeping chains 21.

Hingedly connected to the lower ends of the standards on each side of the machine are the trapping pans 22 which are rectangular in form and are hinged by hinges 23 to the lower ends of the standards so that the trapping pans may be turned either into a horizontal position or turned up against the standards. For the purpose of supporting these pans at a variety of inclinations and yet permitting the pans to have a certain amount of play so that they may follow the contour of the ground, I provide the links 24. which are longitudinally slotted as at 25, the outer end of each slot being formed with a plurality of angularly arranged slots 2G opening into the main slot and being disposed in an angle to the length of the main slot. These slots 26 are adapted t0 engage over pins 27 extending outward vfrom the end standards, and the inner end without departing vention.

of each pan is upwardly inclined as at 29 and the inner margin of the pan is rounde as at 30.

For the purpose of propelling the device I provide a handle 3l which is suitably attached to the standards l-l and extends rearward therefrom, this handle being so formed that it may be adjusted in consonance with the adjustment of the axle. The chains 2l may be adj ustably supported upon the hooks 2() so that the chains may be allowed to depend to a greater or less extent or be taken up or slackened to any extent required orarranged so as to extend at an angle to the line of draft and thus permitting the chains to be disposed in the most effective manner.

lVhile I have illustrated a form of my invention which I haveA found particularly effective yet I wish to be understood that many changes in from the spirit of the in- Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l'. In an insect catcher of thefcharacter described, a Asupporting frame, oppositely disposed downwardly 'depending members forming part of the Supporting frame and oppositely disposed parallel laterally spaced' pans hinged at their outer wallsto said depending members-for movement into a' horlf zontal plane or into angular relation to a ho'rizontalplane, or into a position parallel to and resting againstV the depending memthe details may bemadey -ment in a vertical plane bers, and .means for supporting the pans in their adjusted positions.

2. An insect catching device including an lower ends of said standards and laterallyv spaced from each other, means for supporting said trapping pans in a horizontal position or at an angle to the horizontal plane but permitting independent movement et' the' trapping pans, means shaking devices adjustably supportednpon the standardsand depending over the pans.

for supporting the trapping pansin a raised position, and plant' 3. In an insect catcher of the character de j scribed, an axle Jformed of laterally adjustable sections, supporting wheels mounted upon the axle and laterally adjustable'with.

the sections, supporting members depend? ing from the axle, and trapping pans-each hingedly supported on the lower ends of the depending members for vertical moveindependent of lthe supporting members. v

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. l DAVID DUDLEY STEPHENS-` Witnesses:

- i B. G. GRANT,

V.IV` NORTON. 

